House Passes Energy Bill Which Faces White House Veto

Date: December 6, 2007

Source: News Room

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved on December 5 the Climate Security Act (S. 2191), a measure originally introduced by Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT.) and Senator John Warner (R-VA.). S. 2191 calls for a reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 2005 levels by 2012 and by 63% below 2005 levels by 2050, and it would establish a cap-and-trade program to facilitate those reductions. Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Cal.) called approval of the measure "the greatest legislative accomplishment of my political career of 30 years. Finally, America is taking bold steps to avert the catastrophe that awaits our children and grandchildren if we do nothing." Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the committee's ranking Republican, vowed that the measure would face an "enormous floor fight" in the Senate, calling it "a fatally flawed global warming cap-and-trade bill" providing "all economic pain for no climate gain." A full Senate votecould come in January. Key House committees have yet to draft a companion bill.

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